Design
Department:
College:
Institute of DesignDegrees:
- Master of Design (M.Des.)
- Doctor of Philosophy
Description:
The Master of Design (M.Des.) program is a two-year, 54-credit-hour degree program intended for those seeking professional mastery at the highest level in the field of communication or product design or design planning. The degree terminates with a project demonstrating the application of new theories and processes to contemporary and developing design problems in a variety of areas.
The Ph.D. in design is a research program for those who wish to teach or conduct research in design. The program culminates with a dissertation that extends the body of knowledge about design theory and process. With the approval of their advisers, students may elect to study within the design planning or human-centered design tracks, or they may develop a different area of study that is important to the evolution of new knowledge in design theory or process.
Specializations:
Certificate Programs:
Online and Distance Learning:
Dual Degrees / Joint Degrees:
- M.Des./Master of Business Administration (with IIT Stuart School of Business)
Research Facilities:
Research is supported by a networked computing system that enables students to digitize and manipulate photographic images, analyze problems, model forms, create interactive multimedia and individualized publications, and develop new systems and tools. Equipment includes Silicon Graphics, Sun, Dell and Apple computers and a wide variety of peripherals.Research Areas:
ID provides an unmatched community of faculty and students who are conducting essential design research. Interests are broad, but tend to focus on users’ interactions with their environment, methods of innovation within organizations, and computer-supported processes. Doctoral students conduct research regarding the fundamental methods and principles of human-centered design and design planning in both symbolic and real dimensions.Admission Requirements:
1. Cumulative undergraduate GPA minimum: 3.0/4.0
2. Minimum GRE score: 1000 (verbal + quantitative), 3.5 (analytical writing)
3. TOEFL minimum: 550/213/80 (paper-based/computer-based/Internet-based test)
4. TSE (Test for Spoken English) minimum: 24
5. Admission to ID is highly competitive. Meeting the minimum GPA and test score requirements does not guarantee admission. Test scores and GPA are just two of several important factors considered.
6. For admission to the Master of Design (M.Des.) program, an applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited educational institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0, must have a strong record of academic achievement and must be highly recommended. All applicants without an undergraduate degree in design must submit GRE scores. Applicants from countries whose native language is not English must submit scores for TOEFL and TSE. The TOEFL and TSE requirements are waived for applicants with a degree from universities in English speaking countries.
7. Portfolios are required for applicants who possess design degrees. Regardless of previous degrees, students may be required to complete prerequisite design courses before starting their M.Des. requirements.
8. Applicants without design degrees are encouraged to apply to the M.Des. program. Such applicants must complete a series of specified prerequisite design courses before starting the M.Des. degree requirements.
9. Applicants to the Ph.D. program must hold a master's degree in design from an accredited educational institution, have a distinguished record of academic achievement and be very highly recommended.
10. Doctoral applicants with a master's degree in design must show evidence of distinguished academic and, if appropriate, professional work in their fields. Applicants with design degrees or degrees from programs in related fields with studio courses must present a portfolio and may be required to complete some design courses as deficiency studies. All students must have completed college- level courses in mathematics (calculus and statistics) and programming (Fortran, Pascal or C++). Depending on the applicant's academic background and intended area of study, other prerequisite courses also may be required. Admitted applicants who have not completed these courses must take them immediately.
How to apply:
Institute of DesignDepartmental Website:
http://www.id.iit.edu/The material on these web pages contains the most current program offerings and requirements, and is intended for informational purposes only. Program offerings and requirements change from time to time, and these web pages are changed accordingly. The requirements applicable to a particular student's program are those set forth in the official Graduate Bulletin that was in effect the year the student began his or her graduate program. Therefore, to find the official program requirements applicable to his or her program, a student must consult the Graduate Bulletin from that year.
